Product dispenser having trap and actuating means therefor



April 4, 1967 J. w. CHUHRAN 3,312,377

PRODUCT DISPENSER HAVING TRAP AND ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR Filed April 15, 1965 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,312,377 PRODUCT DISPENSER HAVING TRAP AND ACTUATING MEANS THEREFOR Joseph W. Chuhran, 2156 Helmsford Drive, Walled Lake, Mich. 48088 Filed Apr. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 448,416 4 Claims. (Cl. 222359) This invention relates to dispensers in general and more particularly to means for dispensing a measured amount of a product from a container.

Sugar, instant coffee, and numerous other products are commonly kept in jar containers, in most restaurants and home kitchens, so that they are handy and convenient for use. Although a cover or a cap is usually provided on the jars, it is most frequently removed and a teaspoon or measuring spoon is used to obtain the required amount from the container.

Needless to say, there is not a great deal of consistency in either the level or heaping teaspoon measurement most people try to use. A full or nearly empty jar, one which is tilted or dipped into, how much of a hurry a person is in, how much care is exercised, etcetera, all contribute to just exactly how much of the desired product is actually measured out for use.

A quick cup of instant cofiee for one who uses both sugar and a cream substitute can vary in taste from one time to the next and repeatedly.

Although efforts have been made to provide some form of dispenser cover or closure which is easier to use, in general, these have been principally to keep the jar closed when not in use and have not been directed to the prob lem of also providing a consistent measurement of the product.

It is an object of this invention to provide a product dispenser, for use on jar containers and the like, and which will measure out a consistent amount of a product each time it is used.

It is an object of this invention to provide a product dispenser which is inclusive of a cover member for closing a container holding the product and which may be used to dispense the desired amount of the product whenever required to do so.

This invention provides a product dispenser inclusiveof a hollow, spherical member pivotally mounted on a' cover and in an opening to receive a measured amount when open in the container on which provided and to dispense the same when pivoted or rotated so that it is open outside. The means of rotating the spherical member is provided outside the dispenser device and is therefore not as subject to fouling. Also, the means of effecting such movement provides a mechanical advantage and is in a different plane of reference than might be expected.

The dispenser device of this invention is new and novel. It includes a minimum number of parts, none of which are complicated or difficult to manufacture, and it is therefore simple and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

These and other objects and advantages to be gained in the practice of this invention will be better understood and appreciated upon a reading of the following specifiwith only a fragmentary part of the dispenser shown and with it rotated and open inwardly.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the dispenser of this invention.

The product dispenser of the drawings includes a screw cap cover or closure member 10 which is received on a jar or like container 12 for whatever product it is to be used with.

The cover or closure member 10 is formed to include screw threads 14 for its engagement with the container 12 and it is generally a truncated cone in shape with an opening 16 at its upper end. This also forms a funnel like passageway 18 between its larger threaded end and the smaller access opening 16.

A hollow spherical, or other solid of revolution, shaped member 20 is provided in the passageway 18 and, in fact, directly within the access opening 16. It is open on one side, as at 22, and it is rotatable about an axis across the passageway so that the opening 22 is disposed either inside or outside the pasageway part 18.

As will be appreciated more fully later, when the hollow spherical member 20 is bottom up, so to speak, it closes the container 12. When it is opened in, and the container is turned over, it receives a measured amount of whatever is in the container. And when it is opened out, with the container still upside down, it will dispense the measured amount of whatever it holds.

The cover member part 10 is formed about the opening 16 to provide a spherical seat 24. Within this spherical seat is received the spherical or ball shaped member 20 .with its opening 22 disposed either up or down; the direction depending on assembly preference.

The spherical part 20 is received through the passageway 18 and is held in the seat 24 by pivot pins 26. The pivot pins are engaged through the shperical part 20, from inside it, and through the side walls of the seat part 24. They are serrated on their ends and have pinion gear members 28 mounted on them outside of the enclosing seat wall.

The pivot pins 26 provide the pivotal axis about which the spherical member turns and the gear members 28 provide part of the means for turning it over and back as desired.

An annular collar-like member 30 is provided about the neck or seat wall part 24 of the cover member 12. It includes a channel groove 32 which extends all the way around it, on the inside, and encloses the gear members 28 therewithin. Further, it has the lower side of the channel groove formed to include an annular gear sector 34 which is adapted to drive one of the pinion gears, the other being idle.

In production assembly, the gear members 28 are placed in the channel groove 32 first, and the member 30 about the neck part 24, then the spherical member 20 and its pivot pins 26 are installed. I

When the assembly is complete the member 30 is held on by the pinion gears 26 and when it is turned, concentrically of the passageway 18, it drives the gears and rotates the spherical member so that the opening 22 is either inside or outside the cover member.

The gear means provides a mechanical advantage for driving the spherical measuring cup and precludes any chance of it becoming clogged and inoperative. Of course the area of frictional contact is minimal between the seat and ball parts and is always wiped clean. The fit is suf ficiently loose for reasonably free operation but it is otherwise to close tolerances.

The dispenser of this invention may be made of plastic or other materials, either in whole or in part. No really close fitting parts and tolerances are required except those to meet good quality manufacturing standards.

The dispenser may be made in different sizes for use with diiferent size jars or other containers. be made to have different size measuring cups for a given size cover or closure member and even changeable size measuring cups for the same one, as by having greater Wall thickness in the cups.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, other variations and modifications are contemplated. Such of these as come to mind are to be accepted as within the spirit and scope of this invention unless specifically excluded by the language of the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim;

1. A product dispenser, comprising;

a cover member having an opening provided therethrough,

a hollow member in the form of a solid of revolution disposed in and closing said opening, said hollow member having rotation means, and being pivotal about a fixed pivotal axis across said opening,

an access opening provided in one side of said hollow member and pivotal about said axis to positions inside and outside said cover member,

and an annular member provided on said cover member about said opening and the hollow member disposed therein and including means of operative engagement with said rotation means of said hollow member for the pivotal rotation of said access opening between said inside and outside positions.

2. The product dispenser of claim 1,

said means of operative engagement of said annular member including a gear toothed segment on the inner periphery thereof and said rotation means of said hollow member including gear toothed means cooperative therewith for pivotal actuation thereof.

3. The product dispenser of claim 2,i

It may also said rotation means of said hollow member including a pinion gear member provided on the pivotal axis thereof and operatively engaged with the gear-toothed segment of said annular member.

4-. The product dispenser of claim 1,

said cover member being formed for screw cap engagement with a container and having conical side Walls with said opening and said hollow member provided at the apex thereof,

said hollow member having pivotal engagement with the side walls of said cover member and said rotation means including a pinion gear member provided externally on the pivotal axis thereof for rotation of said hollow member in said opening,

said means of operative engagement of said annular member including a collar having a race-way on the inner periphery thereof receptive of said gear member and for retaining said collar member on said cover member,

and said race-way being formed to include gear teeth for operative engagement with said gear member and rotation thereof and of said hollow member in the turning of said collar member about said cover member opening.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,014,003 1/1922 Hoyt 222360 X 1,458,942 6/1923 Kegler 222-359 1,973,412 9/1934 Johnson 222--363 X 2,104,332 1/1938 Rhode et a1 222-363 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

1. A PRODUCT DISPENSER, COMPRISING; A COVER MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING PROVIDED THERETHROUGH, A HOLLOW MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A SOLID OF REVOLUTION DISPOSED IN AND CLOSING SAID OPENING, SAID HOLLOW MEMBER HAVING ROTATION MEANS, AND BEING PIVOTAL ABOUT A FIXED PIVOTAL AXIS ACROSS SAID OPENING, AN ACCESS OPENING PROVIDED IN ONE SIDE OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER AND PIVOTAL ABOUT SAID AXIS TO POSITIONS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SAID COVER MEMBER, AND AN ANNULAR MEMBER PROVIDED ON SAID COVER MEMBER ABOUT SAID OPENING AND THE HOLLOW MEMBER DISPOSED THEREIN AND INCLUDING MEANS OF OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROTATION MEANS OF SAID HOLLOW MEMBER FOR THE PIVOTAL ROTATION OF SAID ACCESS OPENING BETWEEN SAID INSIDE AND OUTSIDE POSITIONS. 